Mutton Fry – Aattirachi Olathiyathu

Looks like it’s been a long time since I made a chat with my virtual friends……..a long time since I really sat back and scribbled few things here with a relaxed state of mind. I have been too pre-occupied with our relocation and then settling in the new place and just when I was trying to get accustomed to the new kitchen, I tired to squeeze in a huge project like this one, just out of some strange passion and found myself cooking and typing those recipes, leaving me more exhausted and drained for the next two weeks which in a way de-toxed myself from that obsession with this teeny–weeny cyber space of mine! Finally I feel re-charged. And yes, finally we re settled at the new place! As much as I miss our old house where we grew and matured as a couple, that small town where I enjoyed snow-cones in summer, strolling the pavements along with CJJ and that international store with abundance of seafood which sometimes gave me a glance of sardines, we re trying to make sweet memories here, filling the place with more fun and laughter and yes, its finally beginning to smell like a home…that overwhelming smell of fresh paint is gone! :)

Also it‘s been a long time since I have taken up a tag :) Recently, Mathew, who ‘sparks’ as bachelor ambrosia tagged me and here it goes…:)

1. LAST MOVIE YOU SAW IN A THEATER:
27 Dresses. Don’t develop any wrong impression here that CJJ willingly takes me to all chick-flick movies……It was a quid-pro-quo for 10000 B.C but I cheated in the end: D

2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
A boring one to brush up my profession……I might probably re-name the book as ‘Sleep Inducer’ or ‘Your ticket to Day-Dreaming’!!

3. FAVORITE BOARD GAME?
Monopoly. I still get excited thinking of building hotels at the Mayfair (we used to play the London version)

4. FAVORITE MAGAZINE?
No favorites…..though currently I have a subscription for Martha Stewart Living and American Cake Decorating

5. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Smell from my mother’s kitchen, Fresh mint ,CJJ’s after-shave

6. FAVORITE SOUND?
Sound of flowing water on a bed of river rocks ,Sound of waves, Church bells, Whistle from the milk-cooker…..there is something nostalgic about it and I miss it!

7. WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
When I feel helpless having no control over the unlucky things happening to my close ones

8. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE?
Usually I don’t think of anything as CJJ wakes me up in the most beautiful way with a cup of tea! Again do not frame any wrong impression here as that’s the only time he enters the kitchen and does something!

9. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
There was a small restaurant near my home from where my father used to get us Porotta, beef curry & Peas Masala during my childhood days….……I don’t know if it was the best I ever tasted but it is close to my heart due to various reasons associated with it…….but they closed that place during my teens. In US of A, it is Panera Bread

10. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME?
It took me two days to finalize a name for this blog…so you can imagine how challenging it can be for naming the child!!!

11. FINISH THIS STATEMENT. "IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I'D...?
12. FINISH THIS STATEMENT, "IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD .....

Since time and money are so related, let me club these two…. Firstly, I would sponsor research expenses for inventing THE medicine for removing cholesterol related issues, so we need not torture the logical and reasoning side of brain to control our frequent food temptations. Secondly, backpack around the world enjoying the local flavors, peeking into the cultural heritage of the place. Sponsor education for more children…….take up a professional course in residential planning and home interiors……...lastly, build a small house in a beautiful small town in Kerala, on the banks of a river, with a huge estate in the back where CJJ can do his rubber /poultry / fish farm business!!!! My dream place and house is something like the one in “Unnikale oru Kadha Parayam” movie!

13. DO YOU DRIVE FAST?
Hmm…well ….it depends on your definition of ‘fast’. :-) 99% I am a decent driver but sometimes these US state highways forces me to accelerate a bit ;-)

14.DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
Yes, I sleep with one ever since I got married : P But pal is trying to loose weight and stuffing is shrinking these days….. :)

15. STORMS-COOL OR SCARY?
All of the above!

16. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
If what they is right, “after marriage , its two bodies, one soul and one bank account”, I shared a Corolla with CJJ but unfortunately we lost our buddy last year after a road accident ……I miss ‘him’ a lot, though I love our new Jetta!

17. FAVORITE DRINK?
Water with a slice of lemon

18. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?
Nope.

19. IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY COLOR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?
Black, considering the growing number of gray hairs here and there!!

20. NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS YOU HAVE LIVED IN.
Queen of Arabian Sea, Capital city of Tamilnadu, Capital city of Hoosier state, US and the current one

21. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Again, no favorites here. India Vs Pakistan match excites me if I have the right company, my brother or CJJ ….same with tennis and American Football (Only if Colts are playing!) (Btw, I still don’t understand why they call it football when they throw the ball with their hands!!!)

22. ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU.
A nice young guy hiding under a ‘Komban Meesa’ with a special knack of making everyone feel special :)

23. WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED?
Angels!

24. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN?
Hmm….yes, if it is with some modification and improvements and if my family and CJJ is willing to paddle the life with me. I doubt the second part of that statement!!

25. MORNING PERSON, OR NIGHT OWL?
Neither. I need to sleep well.

26. OVER EASY, OR SUNNY SIDE UP?
Sunny side up

27. FAVORITE PLACE TO RELAX?
At home!

28. FAVORITE PIE?
Can I re-frame this question as favourite Payasam/Pradhaman? If yes, Parippu Pradhaman and Palada Payasam. If not, I’m not a pie person.

29. FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
Hmm…..difficult to say as I dont enjoy ice creams much……

30. OF ALL THE PEOPLE YOU TAGGED THIS TO, WHO'S MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?
Let me tag firstttt !!! :) Seena, Jyothsna, Musical , Swati and Anamika



Mutton Fry / Aattirachi Olathiyathu is another favourite of non-vegetarian population of Kerala. Mutton is tastier than beef as well as expensive too. Curried or roasted or fried, it is ‘delicious’ when cooked with exotic spices and fresh herbs. This is my mother’s recipe and one of the many things I miss most about her cooking. Let me share this tasty, spicy and aromatic meat preparation with you.

Ingredients: (Approx.)
To Pressure cook:

• 1 lb fresh mutton with bones (around ½ kg) , cubed and washed
• 4 Indian green chillies, slit opened lengthwise
• 1 tbsp ginger finely chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp garlic finely chopped
• 1 ½ cups big onion, roughly chopped (around 1 large big onion)
• Salt to taste

To Sauté:

• ½ cup red-small pearl onions, thinly sliced
• 2-3 Indian green chillies, slit opened lengthwise
• 4 tsp coriander powder
• 1 ½ tsp chilly powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• Masala Powder(recipe follows)
• 2 sprigs of curry leaves
• ½ cup small coconut slices/’Thengakothu’ (Optional)
• Salt to taste
• 2 ½ tbsp coconut oil

To Make the Masala Powder:

• 1 tbsp fennel seeds/’Perinjeerakam’
• 6-8 cinnamon sticks of 1 inch length
• 1 cardamom pod
• 2 cloves
• ½ tbsp black peppercorns

Directions:

• Marinate the cubed pieces of meat with finely chopped ginger, garlic, green chilly, big onion and salt for about 10-15 minutes and then pressure cook until meat is cooked well.
• Grind the whole spices mentioned under the ‘Masala Powder’ section to make a fine powdered masala.
• In a large shallow pan, heat the oil and sauté thinly sliced small onions and green chillies , in low flame, until it starts to turn transparent. Tear off some curry leaves and add the coconut slices, ‘thengakothu’ to this. Now, add coriander powder and sauté for about 10 minutes, in very low heat, stirring continuously, until the spice powder is roasted well with small onion and its raw smell is gone; then add turmeric powder and chilly powder and again sauté for around 10 minutes, in very low heat, without burning the spices, stirring continuously; this is a very important stage as it sets the ground for the taste of the entire dish. Now add the masala powder (keep a pinch or two aside for the final sprinkling) and blend well with the roasted masala. At the stage add the meat and very little water and stir well, coating the meat evenly with the roasted masala base and cook covered and bring to a boil. (Note: If pressure cooking has produced some water from the meat, then there is no need to add extra water.) Now remove the lid, and stir well; do a taste-test and adjust the salt; then in low flame, roast the meat, stirring occasionally, until it is dried and roasted to brown colour, as in the picture above. Just two minutes before turning off the heat, add some more curry leaves and sprinkle a pinch or two of masala powder, kept aside earlier which leaves the dish with a wonderful aroma of fresh curry leaves and spices.
• Serve warm with rice or Palappam (Laced pancakes), chappathi or porotta (Indian flat breads). This dish attains its real flavour after a couple of hours from cooking and tastes the best, the next day!!

Luv
Shn

SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

When someone asks me what I want to be, if there is a re-birth, for me the response comes quite spontaneously…….I don’t have to think twice to say that I should be able to sing, I should be able to paint beautifully and I should be able to write beautiful poems, capturing the serenity of nature, the beauty of chirping of birds, the sound of flowing water on river rocks…….and now I wish I could also write a poem about the traditional Kerala feast, Sadya! Isn't there something poetic , romantic and pleasant about those flavours and colours on that organic plate?

Almost one and half months back when I published this post, I wrote, “Sadya, in its pure visual sense, is an artists palette and as I had written in some of my previous posts, is a traditional vegetarian feast of Keralites and is very close to each and every Malayalee’s heart ……….. a nostalgia for some like us , who left home and homeland, soon after marriage because of one’s job demands, making it almost impossible to travel back miles together to attend a close-one’s marriage or cousin’s house-warming function or your sibling’s kid’s naming ceremony or first birthday ….we miss such homely get-togethers, followed by this grand feast, served on a banana leaf with rice and a myriad of vegetable side dishes cooked in ground coconut mixture, both fresh and roasted, and some cooked in buttermilk and curd, in various flavours, mildly spiced up curries, banana chips, spicy pickles, Payasam & Pradhaman and a fresh banana and Pappadam (Indian wafers)”.

From the responses I received for that post, I realized that there are many sailing in the same boat with me…..many who miss such huge feasts and family get-togethers. And the more and more I looked at the picture of the Sadya I prepared last year , I felt it’s not just an artist's palette, it’s an artist’s edible palette, perfectly balanced with flavors and colors at the same time…perfectly appealing to all the senses!

Those who have been following this blog probably would have got an idea about how much I love Sadya from my previous posts, especially when I wrote, “ I am embarrassed to write it down here, that there was an incident where everyone left the huge dining hall, next to the marriage–reception one, and the only two people left behind were yours truly and her friend and finally we were forced to stop feasting ourselves as we were asked to speed up because they had to set the table for the next batch of invitees!!!”. There is something captivating about that subtle smell coming off when the warm dishes touch the banana leaf....

Preparing the traditional feast and writing about it has always been an exhilarating experience for me. However, the only challenge was remembering all the right combinations and cooking methods and every time I had to call up my mother when the festive season approached. So recently I thought of compiling all my mother’s traditional recipes in one place and blogging about it was the ideal solution. Also I have been receiving key word searches like, “Onasadya”, “Vishu Sadya”, “Sadya special items”, "Onam Sadhya", "sadya-vattangal", "Kerala Sadhya recipes", “Sadya recipes” etc….perhaps a new bride out there was trying to whip up this huge spread….I don’t know……

Before I proceed, let me make it crystal clear that these recipes are our family recipes and though traditional Kerala dishes, there can be lots of variations in the ingredient list as well as the cooking method, due to the regional differences. Me being the princess daughter of Queen of Arabian Sea is only aware of the delicacies served in and around that place and not familiar with Sadya served in the southern or northern part of Kerala. Hence, please do not consider this post as an encyclopedia of all your Sadya needs and information related to the same. This post is purely based on my personal experience and I am not trying to make any generalization here. I wish I could talk to a Dhehannakkaaran/Sadya Chef, of the older generation, to collect more info on the real authenticity of Sadya but that does not look like even a probability for me, atleast in the near future!

If anyone is still wondering what this Sadya is all about, please have a look at the mini version I prepared last year:

This traditional vegetarian feast is served on a banana leaf, the organic plate as many would call it, and if it is a “thooshan ela”, narrow curved part of the banana leaf, it has to be placed before a person, so the narrow part of the leaf is on the left side. Check out the picture of “thooshan ela” below:

It is on the extreme left of the banana leaf that they start serving the crispy treats like Pappadam ,Pazham and upperis. Then it is the turn of pickles like manga achar, naranga achar and various “thodu-curry”, like puli inji, manga curry, pachadi and kichadi. After that ,biggies like Madhura curry, koottu curry, thoran, avial, olan, kaalan, erisseri, Mambazha Pulissery etc makes a grand entry. Infact, there is an order in which all these dishes are to be served which I am not very sure of. Once the side dishes are served, rice is served on the bottom half of the leaf with dishes like Parippu/lentil with a drop of ghee and Sambar, rasam etc. Depending on the weight of one’s wallet, there can be two to four types of Payasam/Pradhaman which constitute the dessert section and finally Kerala’s classic thirst quencher, Sambaram is served to settle down the expected heaviness after such a huge meal. In some of the other regions of Kerala, a sweet dessert called ‘Boli’ is also served as part of Sadya. In some places, along with the banana chips, some more crispy and fried items are served like, chena varuthathu/fried yam chips, chakka varuthathu/jackfruit chips, parippu vada, unniyappam etc.

I have read somewhere that decades back, at royal palaces and big Namboodiri Illams , 64 items were served at Sadya! Wonder how one could enjoy all the 64 dishes in one sitting!!! Wouldn’t they forget the taste of the first one by the time they reach the 64th one??? Anyway, these days the number of dishes is somewhere between 14 and 24 I guess……not sure though!

The ones listed below are some of the dishes my family prepares when we make the traditional spread. You can go to each of these dishes and recipes by clicking on the picture where I have explained the dishes and recipes in detail. Some of the pictures do not justify the real taste of the dishes; I will try to update the pictures later. For the time being, here‘s my mini Sadya for you :)

Luv
Shn

Sambaram/Morum-vellam/Pacha-moru aka Spiced buttermilk

This post is part of SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

Kerala’s classic Dhaahashamani, thirst quencher in its true sense……..A refreshing summer drink and on a side note, Sambaram is also given when someone is sloshed or hammered :). Even before lemon juice and Rasna and aerated drinks grabbed its current place, Sambaram was served to guests. It was and is the most preferred drink of the worker class who spends most of their day under the scorching sun as it helps to cool down the body. Sambaram/Morum-vellam/Pacha-moru is served at Sadya as it helps to settle down the heaviness after such a huge spread and also aids digestion. Though we all would like to finish the feast with two or three types of Payasams/Pradhamans , the traditional way of wrapping up the feast is by either having an ‘urula” of rice , soaked in pacha-moru/ spiced buttermilk or drinking a small glass of the same. From my experience, I have learnt that it does make a lot of sense to finish the feast with this classic drink as I always found myself feeling a bit light after the feast.

Ingredients: (Approx.)

• 1 cup homemade curd or store-bought plain yogurt
• 2 cups water
• 2-3 Indian green chillies, slit opened lengthwise
• 1 small piece of ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 6-7 curry leaves
• Salt to taste

Directions:

• In a mortar and pestle, crush the green chillies and ginger. With a wooden spoon or fork, gently beat the curd and add water to it and blend it well. Alternatively, add the curd and water to a blender and pulse only one or two times. To this, add the crushed ginger and green chillies. Tear some curry leaves and add salt to taste. Stir well and serve after 10 minutes. Note: Adjust the green chillies according to one’s tolerance level.
  

Luv
Shn

Rasam – A tangy peppery garlicky soup.

This post is part of SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

A tangy tomato soup spiced up with the pungent taste of garlic, black peppercorns and cumin seeds, and flavored with asafoetida, coconut oil and curry leaves. This can be tailored to suit to personal taste by making it spicy or tangy or garlicky. It is great for digestion as well as to alleviate cough and cold.

Ingredients:- (Approx.)

• 2 cups water
• 1 medium tomato, diced into medium chunks
• ½ tsp tamarind concentrate or a small piece of tamarind soaked in water (use only the water)
• 4 medium cloves of garlic
• 3-4 Indian green chillies
• ½ tsp cumin seeds/jeera
• ½ - ¾ tsp black peppercorns, to taste
• ¼ tsp Asafoetida/kaayam
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¾ tsp coriander powder

For Seasoning:

• 2 tsp coconut oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1 sprig of curry leaves

For garnish:

• Coriander leaves

Directions:

• In a small deep bowl, boil 2 cups of water with diced tomato chunks, tamarind paste, asafoetida and salt; close it with a lid and let it boil.
• While it is boiling, crush garlic cloves, green chillies, peppercorns and cumin seeds using a mortar and pestle. Add this coarsely crushed garlic, chillies, cumin seeds and peppercorns into the bowl and let it boil.
• When it is boiling, mildly crush the tomato chunks with the back of a spoon, to extract the juices from tomato ( do not crush fully) and add turmeric powder and coriander powder. Let it boil again for 1-2 minutes. Here the heat comes from the green chillies and peppercorns and hence adjust those two ingredients as per your taste. Do a taste test and adjust the flavours and salt and switch off the stove/
• In another shallow pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, dry red chillies and curry leaves and pour this to the deep bowl and garnish with some coriander leaves. Both the herbs, curry leaves and coriander leaves, add a nice aroma to this dish and hence do not omit this.

Luv
Shn

Sambar - Curried lentils and vegetables in spiced gravy.

This post is part of SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

Kerala Sambar is a curried lentil and mixed vegetables preparation in thick gravy. Unlike its popular cousins from the neighboring states of Southern India, Kerala Sambar is cooked with a wide variety of vegetables. In some regions of Kerala, roasted coconut is added as a taste enhancer as well. At home, we prepare a simple one but with some preference for certain types of vegetable to control the taste of the dish to our liking.

Ingredients: (Approx.)
For pressure cooking:

• ½ cup Thuvara Parippu/toor dal
• 2 ½ cups water
• Salt to taste
• A drop of ghee
• A pinch of turmeric

For Sautéeing:

• 1 small tomato, diced
• 1 baby brinjal, diced
• 1 small size big onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup of mixed vegetables like Vendakkaya/ladysfinger, Kumabalanga/Ash gourd, plantain, carrots, and drumsticks)
• A small piece of ginger, thinly sliced
• 1-2 small garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2-3 green chillies, slit opened lengthwise
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp chilly powder
• 2 tsp Eastern Sambar Powder
• ½ tsp tamarind paste or to taste
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds/jeera
• ½ tbsp coconut oil
• Salt to taste

For seasoning:

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• 2 pinches of Asafoetida
• 1 sprig of curry leaves

For garnish:

• Coriander leaves

Directions:

• Wash parippu/dal/lentil thoroughly in water. Along with water, turmeric powder, ghee and salt, cook washed Parippu/dal/lentil in a pressure cooker, in medium heat, until it is cooked and soft. For me it takes around 4-6 whistles. Please note that cooking time varies depending on the variety and brand of the dal and pressure cooker.
• Heat oil in another deep vessel, and splutter cumin seeds/jeera. Sauté thinly sliced onions until they become soft and then add the thinly sliced ginger, garlic and green chillies and cook for a minute. Add powdered spices like, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilly powder and Eastern Sambar Powder, one by one and sauté till the raw smell goes. At this stage add diced tomatoes and other vegetables like diced baby brinjal, carrots, ash gourd, cubed plantains and lady fingers and drumsticks and coat the veggies in spices thoroughly, by stirring gently. Add ½ to ¾ cup water or just enough to cook the veggies, tamarind paste and salt and cook till vegetables are soft. Now add the pressure cooked parippu/dal /lentil to this veggie mix and blend everything together. Add water if the consistency is too thick. Adjust the salt and bring it to a boil and remove from the heat.
• In a small shallow pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies and asafetida and some curry leaves and pour this over to the cooked dal and veggie mix. Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.

Updated on Aug 14th, 2008: For the last step, while seasoning, instead of using coconut oil you may try using ghee which gives a divine aroma to this dish, taking it to a whole new taste!

Luv
Shn

Semiya Payasam – An Easy Kerala Dessert

This post is part of SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

Childhood weirdness…..hmm…..interesting topic, huh? I had my big share too…….. :) Anyone interested in knowing a deep dark secret of yours truly?? Well…. I never used to drink Payasam cooked in jaggery….anything in dark or brown color was “karutha Payasam“ to me and as a 6 or 7 year old, I always believed that drinking “karutha Payasam” (Karutha means black) will turn me into someone with a dark colored skin!!!!!!! I don’t know who seeded this brilliant idea in my mind…….it sure took sometime for me to develop a taste for Payasam cooked in jaggery. But dark or white, Payasam is a heavenly dessert and Keralites can boast of various delicacies like Palada Pradhaman, Praippu Pradhaman, Chakka Pradhaman, Pazha Pradhaman, Paal Payasam, Gothambu Payasam, Semiya Payasam and the list goes on……. Semiya Payasam is the easiest and less time consuming one and for the same reason, it is widely served in most of the Sadyas, especially for the ones made at home for small gatherings. Payasams taste best when they are cooked in “uruli”, a wide-mouthed bell metal vessel, as shown in the picture.

Ingredients: - (Approx.)

• ½ cup roasted semiya/vermicelli
• 3 cups milk
• ¼ cup + 2tbsp sugar or To taste
• 1tbsp ghee
• 12-15 golden raisins
• 10 cashew nuts
• 2-3 whole cardamom pods
• 1/8 cup sweetened condensed milk (Optional)

Directions:

• Boil milk in a saucepan and when it is fully boiling, add the roasted semiya/vermicelli slowly and keep stirring until it is evenly spread and floating individually in milk. Bring this to a boil and then add the sugar. Stir well to combine the sugar with the milk and semiya and again bring to a boil. Now reduce the heat and let it simmer in low flame until it starts to thicken. Add the condensed milk and stir for 4-5 minutes and when it reaches the required consistency, turn off the stove.
• Crush cardamom pods and pound the seeds and add this to Payasam when it is still hot.
• In a small shallow pan, heat ghee and fry golden raisins, until they begin to look like plump golden grapes; also fry the cashew nuts till they turn golden colour. Add this to payasam, when it is still hot. Serve warm or chilled.

Note: Using condensed milk is optional. If you avoid condensed milk, adjust sugar and milk accordingly. The above proportion of semiya and milk give ideal consistency if you serve it warm. Semiya Payasam usually tends to thicken when it comes to room temperature or chilled inside the refrigerator. Normally I add some more hot milk to the Payasam , boil it again and also adjust the sweetness by adding more sugar. Also, number of cashew nuts and raisins to be added is purely a personal choice. If you re not using roasted semiya, break the long threads of semiya/vermicelli into ½ inch pieces and roast in a tbsp of ghee and then add it to the boiling milk. You can skip one step if you opt for roasted semiya.

Check out the recipe for Parippu Payasam/Pradhaman .

Luv
Shn

Parippum Neyyum – A simple lentil preparation for Sadya

This post is part of SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

Most modest and humble entry on Sadya , an artist’s edible palette as I would like to call it, is when Parippu is served with a drop of ghee on top, after rice is served on the leaf. This Dal /lentil preparation is the simplest dish and the only logical reasoning I can think of, for starting Sadya with such a plain dish is probably to adjust the palate to accommodate the following “explosion of the flavours” from the myriad of dishes served on the leaf. Keralites generally prepare Parippu/Dal/lentil in different ways, sometimes with a base of onion-tomato or a mixture of ground coconut or with a touch of freshly squeezed coconut milk. However, when it comes to Sadya, it is dressed up in its simplest form by cooking Parippu/dal/lentil with one or two green chillies and a small piece of ginger and seasons it with the wonderful aroma of coconut oil and fresh curry leaves. Simplicity at its best! Depending on the regional differences, this dish is cooked either with “Thuvara Parippu/toor dal” or “Cherupayattin parippu- split Moong dal” in various parts of Kerala.

Ingredients:- (Approx.)

• ½ cup Thuvara Parippu/toor dal or Cherupayattin parippu/ split moong dal
• 1 ½ cups water
• 2-3 Indian green chillies, slit opened lengthwise
• A small piece of ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 ½ tsp coconut oil
• 1 small sprig of curry leaves
• Salt to taste

Directions:-

• Wash dal/lentil thoroughly in water. Along with 1½ cups water, green chillies, ginger and salt, cook washed dal/lentil in a pressure cooker, in medium heat, until it is cooked and soft. For me it takes around 4-6 whistles. Please note that cooking time varies depending on the variety and brand of the Parippu/dal and pressure cooker.
• When the sizzling sound stops, open the pressure cooker and bring Parippu/dal/lentil to boil immediately. Adjust salt; crush some curry leaves into the coconut oil and pour it to the dish and stir well and remove from the stove. Serve with a drop of ghee/clarified butter.

Luv
Shn

Kuthari Choru – Kerala’s traditional cooked rice

This post is part of SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

Kuthari choru is the cooked rice from Rosematta/Kerala red rice. It is the soul food of Kerala and chances of people from other states falling in love with this rice is very remote as generally most of them complain that its too big and plump to eat and hard to chew and perhaps that’s the reason we love it, I don’t know :)

This rice is traditionally cooked by boiling lots of water and when the water starts to boil, grains are added and cooked, in low-medium flame, with lid partially covered, till it turns soft and the rest of the water is drained out. The easiest and less time consuming method to cook this rice is by the pressure-cooking method. Firstly, wash the rice thoroughly in running cold water and drain the excess water. Add the grains to the pressure cooker and pour 3 cups of water for 1 cup of rice and pressure cook, in medium heat, till it is fully cooked and soft enough. It generally takes 3-5 whistles, depending on the variety/brand of the rice and the cooker. Alternatively you can add more than 3 cups of water and once the rice is cooked, drain out the excess water to reduce the starch amount.

Check out Kanji with Rosematta rice.

Luv
Shn

Mambazha Pulisseri – A well-marriage of sweetness and sourness!

This post is part of SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

A classic dish of Kerala that would make most Malayalee salivate at the mere mention of it. Those who love this dish become a slave to it. The taste…..the flavour….the aroma……it’s a well-marriage of sweetness and sourness…….a canvas where the ripened mangoes embrace the sourness of homemade curd with a textured interplay from the fresh ground coconut paste , augmented by the aromas of coconut oil and the princess herb of Kerala, the curry leaf! Who can resist this savory mango-ey goodness!!!! The real blending of flavors happen as it rests for one or two hours and taste the best the next day. When there is a shower of “Chandrakkaran mangas”, a Kerala variety, Mambazha Pulisseri reigns everyone and everywhere!.

Ingredients: (Approx.) For cooking:

• 1 cup of sweet and ripe mango, skin off and diced ( 1 medium size mango) OR 2-3 Chandrakkaran manga
• 2 -3 Indian green chillies, slit opened lengthwise
• ½ inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp red chilly powder
• Salt to taste
• Water to cook mangoes

For grinding:

• ¾ cup grated coconut
• 2-4 Indian green chillies
• 1 small clove of garlic
• ¼ to ½ tsp cumin seeds, jeera
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 3-4 curry leaves
• Salt to taste

1 cup homemade curd or store-bought yogurt
Sugar, if required

For seasoning:

• 2-3 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds/Uluva
• A pinch of red chilly powder
• 4-6 curry leaves

Directions:

• Grind grated coconut, green chillies, garlic, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and curry leaves with a dash of salt into a fine and smooth paste and keep aside.
• In a deep vessel, cook ripe mango pieces or Chandrakkaran manga mildly spiced with green chillies, ginger, turmeric powder, red chilly powder in little water, just enough to cook the mangoes.
• While mangoes are cooking, heat oil in a shallow pan and splutter mustard seeds, dry red chillies, fenugreek seeds and tear off some curry leaves and add to this. Transfer this to a small deep bowl and keep aside. In the same pan, sauté the ground coconut paste for a minute and pour it to the cooked mangoes and gently blend everything well and cook for a minute. Remove the vessel from the heat and now add the thick homemade curd; stir continuously while adding curd and then bring the vessel back to the stove and stir occasionally, in medium heat, until it starts to boil. Let it boil for a minute, without letting the curd to curdle. (Note: You need to be very careful at this stage because if you stop stirring for a while, it will boil immediately and curdle. So stay away from phone calls and other chores.) Do a taste –test and adjust the flavors. If sourness still dominates the dish, add 1-2 tsp sugar and stir well. Adjust the flavour until the right balance of sweetness and sourness is reached. Switch off the stove and transfer the vessel from the stove and keep stirring gently for another minute as the bowl is still hot and hence it will continue to boil until the temperature of the bowl subsides. At this stage, pour the seasoning, which was made earlier, to the dish and stir gently. A pinch of red chilly powder we added to the seasoning will now create a nice streak of reddishness to the yellow dish , making it appealing to your eyes and taste buds at the same time :)
• Let it stand for atleast 30 minutes before serving. Serve with rice.

Note: Please note that Mambazha Pulisseri tastes better with aging. The real blending of flavors happen as it rests for one or two hours and taste best the next day. It should have a thick yet liquid-y consistency. The taste basically depends on the ripeness and the variety of mango used, thickness and sourness of the curd and smoothness and creaminess of the ground coconut paste.

Luv
Shn

Erissery – Another roasted coconut delicacy from Kerala

This post is part of SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

After reading so many recipes as part of the virtual traditional feast, some of you probably might be having a question in mind, ”Are Keralites nuts about coconuts?? “ I would say, “yes, we are” :) We have to use coconut in some form or the other…it could be coconut oil, grated coconut, ground coconut, shredded coconut, coconut milk, coconut water……and yeah sometime, we run out of options and we tend to tweak the existing options a bit by roasting the grated coconut and adding the same to the dish to enhance the taste! I already wrote about “koottu-curry” where the irresistible aroma of roasted coconut marries black chickpeas and yam. Here in this dish, we not only use roasted coconut but cook the ingredients in a fresh ground coconut base too. Check out how we weave this dish!

Ingredients: (Approx.)

• ½ cup Vanpayar/red cowpeas, soaked overnight
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 ½ - 2 cups cubed pieces of Mathanga ( I used acorn squash)
• 1 cup water
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• ¼ tsp red chilly powder
• Salt to taste

To grind:

• ½ cup grated coconut
• ½ tsp cumin/jeera
• 4-5 green chillies
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste

To Roast:

• ½ cup grated coconut
• ¼- ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 3-4 dry red chillies
• 2-3 small red-pearl onions thinly sliced
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 tbsp oil, preferably coconut oil

Directions:

• Heat oil in a shallow pan and splutter mustard seeds, then add dried red chillies and thinly sliced small red-pearl onions as well as tear off some curry leaves and sauté till the onion is beginning to turn translucent. Now add grated coconut and roast everything till it turns nice and brown, in low fire. Keep stirring without burning the ingredients and keep it aside for the last phase of cooking
• In the small jar of mixer/blender, make a paste of the second set of ingredients by grinding fresh coconut, cumin seeds, chillies, turmeric and salt and keep it aside.
• Pressure-cook Vanpayar/red cowpeas, soaked overnight, in 1 ½ cups water, with a pinch of salt, till it is semi-cooked, for around 2 whistles; when the sizzling sound stops, add the cubed pieces of Mathanga (I used acorn squash), turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt and pressure-cook for some more time till everything is soft and cooked well.
• Open the pressure cooker once the sizzling sound stops; with the back of a spoon, slightly mash some cubed Mathanga pieces; then add the fresh ground coconut paste and bring to a boil, in medium heat. When it boils, reduce the flame and cook till it thickens slightly; then adjust the taste, add the roasted coconut and stir well, enjoying the aroma when the roasted coconut gels with the other ingredients in the vessel. When everything is blended well, turn off the stove. (Note: You can control the consistency of the dish to your liking by thickening or not thickening.)
  

Luv
Shn

Kaalan- Ripe plantain & ash-gourd at its best relationship!

This post is part of SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

The more you cook Kerala traditional dishes, the more you wonder about the similarities in the cooking method and yet the uniqueness in flavor and taste each dish brings to the table. It might be a slight difference in the combination of ingredients ….or it could be an omission or addition of an ingredient…..or it could be a particular taste of the same ingredient used at a different phase of cooking…..or it could be a mix and match of a fruit and vegetable……whatever it may be, they are all unique and tasty. Kaalan is another proud entry, lined up in Sadya, and again depending on the regional differences, the consistency and ingredients of this dish vary from place to place. In some places it is a combination of plantain and yam, with a thin consistency. At my place, my mother pairs Eathappazham/ripe bananas with Kumbalanga/ash-gourd and it has a thick consistency.

Ingredients: - (Approx.)
For cooking:

• ½- ¾ cup ripe plantain/Eathappazham and ash-gourd/kumbalanga , diced into small pieces
• 2 green chillies, chopped into small pieces
• ½ inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp red chilly powder
• Salt to taste
• Water to cook banana and ash-gourd

For grinding

• ¾ cup grated coconut
• 2 Indian green chillies
• 1 small clove of garlic
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds, jeera
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 3-4 curry leaves
• Salt to taste

¾ cup thick homemade curd

For seasoning:

• 1tbsp coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds/Uluva
• 4-6 curry leaves

Directions:

• Grind grated coconut, green chillies, garlic, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and curry leaves with a dash of salt into a fine and smooth paste and keep aside.
• In a deep vessel, cook ripe banana pieces and ash-gourd, mildly spiced with green chillies, ginger, turmeric powder, red chilly powder in little water, just enough to cook the fruit and veggie.
• While fruit and vegetable is cooking, heat oil in a shallow pan and splutter mustard seeds, dry red chillies, fenugreek seeds and tear off some curry leaves and add to this. Transfer this to a small deep bowl and keep aside. In the same pan, sauté the ground coconut paste for a minute and pour it to the cooked banana-ash-gourd mixture and gently blend everything well and cook for a minute or two. Remove the vessel from the heat and now add the thick homemade curd; stir continuously while adding curd and then bring the vessel back to the stove and stir occasionally, in medium heat, until it starts to boil. Let it boil for a minute, without letting the curd to curdle. (Note: You need to be very careful at this stage because if you stop stirring for a while, it will boil immediately and curdle. So stay away from phone calls and other chores.) Do a taste –test and adjust the flavors. Switch off the stove and transfer the vessel from the stove and keep stirring gently for another minute as the bowl is still hot and hence it will continue to boil until the temperature of the bowl subsides. At this stage, pour the seasoning, which was made earlier, to the dish and stir gently. Let it rest for minimum 30 minutes and then serve with rice. Tastes best the next day.

Luv
Shn

Olan – Stewed ash-gourd and red cowpeas in coconut milk

This post is part of SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

A simple dish cooked with the absolute splendidness of coconut milk where one comes to the realization that the blandness of ash-gourd is also a taste to be relished. At my uncle’s household, in our same neighborhood, Kumbalanga /ash-gourd season is the time when the cattle-shed receives nature’s grand decorations, with the vines climbing up the roof of the shed, spreading its leaves like green patch works and the bulbs are illuminated when the huge ash-gourds begin to show up and grow in size. And when it reaches maturity, we get our share and then it’s time for “Olan”. First day when it appears on the table, we re all excited and devour the dish…second day also we enjoy it…third day the enthusiasm slows down a bit and fourth day is when we all get into a playful mood and say “Ohhh…it’s Olaa…aaannn” stylishly……the day my mother gets the signal that it is time for her to think of other alternatives with the same ingredient :)

Ingredients:- (Approx.)

• ¼ cup Vanpayar/red cowpeas, soaked overnight
• 2 cups Kumbalanga/ ash-gourd/winter melon, chopped into small pieces
• 2-3 green chillies
• 1 cup thin coconut milk
• ¼- ½ cup thick coconut milk
• ¾ -1 cup water
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• 2-3 small red-pearl onions/shallots, thinly sliced

Directions:

• Pressure-cook Vanpayar/red cowpeas with ¾ cup water and a dash of salt till soft.
• When the sizzling sound stops, open the pressure cooker and add the chopped Kumbalanga/ ash-gourd/winter melon and green chillies and cook till the vegetable is soft. Add water if required, while cooking. Now add thin coconut and bring to a boil and let it simmer for few minutes, until it thickens a bit. Then add the thick coconut milk and bring it to a boil quickly; do a taste-test and adjust the salt and turn off the stove.
• In another shallow pan, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, dry red chillies tear off some curry leaves and add the sliced onion and sauté till the onions turn pink. Turn off the stove and pour it to the dish and gently blend it.
• Let it stand for atleast an hour before serving as it takes time to get all the flavours together.

Note: Aim for a much richer consistency of coconut milk than what is shown in the picture as the day I clicked this picture, I was little short of required amount of coconut milk.

Luv
Shn

Avial- A mishmash of vegetables cooked in ground coconut & curd base!

This post is part of SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

Another signature dish of Kerala and I have never had a Sadya where Avial was not served. All the traditional vegetables are thrown into this dish and come out as one of the yummiest dishes of all times. As with most of the other Kerala preparations, this dish also has a vegetable base, ground coconut mixture and a curd base and then seasoned with the freshness of coconut oil and curry leaves but still it is unique , like all the other preparations, and absolutely tasty too. Again, regional differences play its role in this dish as well. If curd is used in some regions, then it is raw green mango for some other regions and it is tamarind for some others. Some add big onion and some do not. The taste of this dish varies with the pick of vegetables used in its preparation too. At my place, we usually stay away from adding beetroot to this dish, as its color overwhelms the entire dish. Cooking avial in a “mann-chatti”, an earthenware from Kerala, embellishes the entire experience. This recipe is something which my mother has tailored to suit our family preferences.

Ingredients: (Approx.)
To grind:

• ¾ cup grated coconut
• A small piece of ginger, peeled
• 3-4 Indian green chillies
• 1 small clove of garlic
• A pinch of cumin seeds/jeera
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

To Cook:

• 1 – 1 ½ cups of traditional vegetables like Plantain, yam, ash gourd, drumsticks, carrot, cut into thin sticks
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 1 egg-size big onion
• 1-2 green chillies, slit opened lengthwise
• A small piece of ginger, thinly sliced
• A smidgen of red chilly powder
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp homemade curd
• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• Salt to taste

Directions:

• Grind grated coconut, ginger, green chillies , garlic, , cumin seeds with salt and turmeric powder into a coarse paste and keep it aside.
• In a “mann-chatti” (an earthenware from Kerala), cook all the vegetables, tomato, sliced big onion, ginger and green chillies by adding some water (very little, just to cook the veggies) along with salt and a pinch of turmeric and a smidgen of red chilly powder. When the veggies are cooked well, add the ground coconut paste and stir well to coat all the veggies in this ground mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add curd and stir gently. Adjust the salt. Crush the curry leaves in coconut oil and pour it to the veggie-coconut mix. Stir gently and turn off the stove.

Luv
Shn

Cabbage Thoran – A cabbage side dish cooked with a touch of grated coconut.

This post is part of SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

A regular Kerala meal is not complete without either a “thoran” or “Mezhukkupuratti”. It is nothing but a vegetable side dish, cooked either with a touch of grated coconut, which is called “thoran” or stir-fried in lots of oil, called, “Mezhukkupuratti”. For Sadya, ‘thoran” is prepared using wide varieties of vegetables, mainly depending on the availability of traditional vegetables in season. Idichakka thoran is one of the tastiest of the traditional thorans and it is cooked with tender young green jackfruit. When ‘convenience’ knocks on the doors of logic, some of us resort to the not so traditional vegetables and my usual pick is cabbage.

Ingredients: - (Approx.)

• 2 cups cabbage, thinly sliced or finely chopped (depends on personal choice)
• ¼ cup grated coconut
• 1 small onion/shallots, finely chopped
• 1 small clove of garlic, finely chopped
• 3-4 green chilies, finely chopped
• A pinch of cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ¼ tsp mustard seeds
• ¼ tsp Uzhunnu parippu/urad Dal/black grams
• 1-2 dry red chilies
• 4-5 curry leaves
• Salt to taste
• 2tsp oil

Directions: -

• Crush and blend the grated coconut well with finely chopped small onion, garlic, green chilies, cumin seeds, turmeric powder and salt using your hands OR put all the ingredients from 2 to 6, without chopping, in a small food processor and pulse 1-2 times.
• Heat oil in a pan and when it is steaming hot, splutter mustard seeds, followed by urad dal and dry red chilies. Add the thinly sliced or finely chopped cabbage to the pan and cook them covered for a minute in medium heat. Remove the lid, add the grated coconut mixture and cover it cooked for another 40-50 seconds in low flame. Then remove the lid and do the rest of the cooking; do a ‘taste test’ here and add salt if required and when it gains perfect balance between softness and crunchiness (should not be soggy), tear off some curry leaves and add it to the dish, stir gently and turn off the heat. (Note: There is no need to add water to cabbage while cooking. Cabbage leaves are moist on its own and adding water will only make it soggy.)

Luv
Shn

Koottu-curry – Irresistible aroma of roasted coconut marries yam and black chickpeas!

This post is part of SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

A combo of one or two vegetables cooked with black chickpeas and flavored with the irresistible aroma of roasted grated coconut. Depending on the regional differences, variations are possible in the selection of vegetables and the consistency as well. At my place, this dish is prepared with yam and black chickpeas and it is a semi-dry preparation and this is the method followed at home:

Ingredients: (Approx.) To Cook:

• ½ cup Kadala/Black chickpeas, soaked overnight
• ½ - ¾ cup chena/yam, chopped into small pieces
• 1 inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
• 3-4 Indian green chillies, chopped
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 ½ cups water

To Roast:

• ¾ cup grated coconut
• 3-4 small red-pearl onions, thinly sliced
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2-3 dry red chillies
• 1 sprig of curry leaves
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Directions:

• Heat oil in a shallow pan, splutter mustard seeds and dry red chillies; add the thinly sliced onions and sauté till it is translucent. Add curry leaves and coat well with oil and onions and then add the grated coconut and roast till it is brown and keep aside.
• Pressure cook ½ cup soaked Kadala/Black chickpeas, with 1 ½ cups of water and enough salt, till it is well-cooked and soft. (Note: It usually takes about 6-7 whistles for me.)
• Add chopped chena/yam, ginger, green chillies, turmeric powder, salt to this cooked Kadala/Black chickpeas, and cook until it is soft. Add little water if required. Once yam is cooked, add the roasted coconut mixture to this, give a gentle stir and switch off the stove. This is somewhat a semi-dry preparation. Serve with rice!

Luv
Shn

Vellarikka Pachadi- Golden cucumber in a curd & coconut mixture

This post is part of SADYA VIBHAVANGAL – Learn to make the traditional Kerala Feast- An Artist’s Edible Palette !

Pachadi and Kichadi are the prominent ones in “thodu –curry” section, giving a colorful start to ‘the organic plate’. They are usually cooked with various vegetables in ground coconut and homemade curd base, giving a taste of freshness. I do not know the theoretical difference between pachadi and kichadi but based on my personal experience, as the princess daughter of the Queen of Arabian sea, pachadi is where vegetables are cooked in little water and then ground coconut flavored with pounded mustard seeds, is added and finished with home-made curd and seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves where as Kichadi is vegetables fried in oil and then enhanced with a touch of fresh curd. If anyone out there knows the correct differentiation, please enlighten me.

Vellarikka Pachadi provides the cooler-effect in a Sadya and this dish is prepared with Kani Vellarikka known as golden cucumber, one of the significant items when preparing Vishu Kani.

Ingredients: - (Approx.)

• 1 cup kani vellari/golden cucumber, chopped into small pieces
• 2-3 green chillies
• Salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp water

For Grinding:-

• ½ cup grated coconut
• 2 green chillies
• 2 pinches of mustard seeds
• Salt to taste

½ cup beaten curd

For seasoning:

• 2 tsp oil, preferably coconut oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1-2 whole dry red chillies
• 5-6 curry leaves

Directions:

• Grind grated coconut and green chillies into a smooth paste, in the small jar of a mixer or blender, adding some water if required; add mustard seeds at the last minute and grind it along with coconut and keep aside.
• In a small saucepan, cook the chopped Kani vellari/golden cucumber pieces with green chillies and salt, adding 2-3 tbsp water, just enough to cook the vegetable. When cucumber pieces turn soft, add the ground coconut mixture and cook again, in low-medium heat, till it starts to boil. Add the curd and adjust the salt; mix everything well and turn off the stove (before it starts to boil) not letting the curd to boil. At this stage, the curry should have a medium consistency, neither thick nor thin or dry.
• In another pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, dry red chillies and turn off the stove and immediately add the torn curry leaves and pour the whole thing to the dish; Close the lid and let it rest for sometime , allowing all the fresh flavors to explode .

Luv
Shn